🌱 State Supreme Court Bans Semiautomatics + Electric Vehicle Rebates

Hello again, everybody! It's me, Kaytlyn Smith, your host of the Chicago Patch newsletter. Come along to find out the most important things going on in town these days.

But first, today's weather:

Mostly sunny and humid. High: 83 Low: 68.

Here are the top three stories in Chicago today:

1. Yesterday, the Illinois Supreme Court voted to uphold the state's ban on certain types of semiautomatic weapons. The decision reversed a lower court's decision that alleged the ban violates the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. The decision was passed 4-3. (NBC Chicago)
2. On Thursday, Governor Pritzker announced another round of electric vehicle rebates, offering $4,000 per car or truck or $1,500 for a motorcycle. This follows a previous round of rebates, the funding for which ran out this April. The applications will be taken beginning in November and through January 2024. (Chicago Sun-Times)
3. A local museum has officially set a Guinness World Record for the "largest collection of handmade Sock Monkeys in the world." Michael Okun, the co-founder of the Illinois Sock Monkey Museum in Long Grove, said he had been working with Guinness World Records for more than a year to determine his museum's status. The museum has 2,098 sock monkeys in its collection. (NBC Chicago)

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Today in Chicago:

Saturday, August 12

• Adult Craft Day: Crochet 101 At Woodson Regional Library (10:00 AM)
• Community Health And Resource Fair At YWCA Metropolitan Chicago (10:00 AM)
• Jarvis Square Artisan Market At Rogers Park Business Alliance (10:00 AM)
• College Access Workshop At Thurgood Marshall Branch Library (11:00 AM)

From my notebook:

• Phone scams are everywhere — but did you know that 773 is the top area code for scam calls in Illinois? Visit the link for more statistics on phone scams in Illinois and across the United States. (BeenVerified)
• Street art lovers, take note: a massive mural in Logan Square honoring music legend Quincy Jones was painted over this week, with a new mural celebrating the Chicago Bulls and Chicago Cubs set to replace it. (Block Club Chicago via Facebook)
• The 12th annual "Beyond the Waters Beach Party" is back, this Sunday, Aug. 13! All individuals with disabilities and their families are welcome to this FREE event including adaptive sports, live music, BBQ, and more. Click the link for more info. (Chicago Park District via Facebook)

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• FREE-Family Food Distribution (August 12)
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• Chicago's Little Italy Festa - Taylor Street (August 18)
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• Get started on a career in Human Resources (August 22)
• Malnati Brain Tumor Institute Summer Rooftop Celebration (August 30)
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Featured announcements:

• Will County Sheriff's Correctional Officers Get a Salary Increase and Residency Change (Details)
• Brett Boudart Joins Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Chicago (Details)
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Alrighty, you're all caught up for today. See you all soon for another update!

— Kaytlyn Smith

About me: Kaytlyn Smith is a managing editor at Lightning Media Partners – a content creation agency. She is a Rowan University graduate where she earned a bachelor's degree in journalism and a master's degree in writing. Outside of work, Kaytlyn is a dog mom to a boglen terrier named Finn and a golden retriever named Willow.